For a lot of our youth members, Lift For Life Gym is a place they can count on each and every day. It’s a place they can feel safe, receive a fresh meal, participate in activities every child should be able to enjoy, and most importantly somewhere they can create a future. Jerome is a personal testimony to our impact. Jerome, age 14, has been coming to Lift For Life Gym for the past six years. He’s followed in the footsteps of his older siblings who have all been members of LFLG. Jerome is the youngest of six kids, one sister and four brothers. His older sister recently graduated from High School as
well as our program this past May. She was Salutatorian of her class and received a fully paid scholarship to Jackson State University this past fall. Jerome is following in his sister’s footsteps as he too does well in school and has also become passionate about weightlifting.

Ever since Jerome arrived at the Gym at the age of 8 he’s been a part of our Olympic Style Youth Weightlifting Team. He’s had many accomplishments over the years winning 50+ medals, 5 trophies and most recently becoming the 6th ranked 17 & under weightlifter in the
country! His most recent lifts are 92kg in the Snatch and 115kg in the Clean & Jerk. Jerome practices three to five times a week and continues to improve upon his skills in order to compete at such an elite level. Not only does weightlifting offer Jerome the opportunity to
learn discipline, how to work hard, how to set goals and dealing with both success and failure. It has also given him the opportunity to see the world! For many of us, seeing the ocean may not be a big deal but for our youth members it is. So many of them may never have the opportunity to leave the city, let alone travel to different parts of the country experiencing new sites. Lift For Life Gym and our weightlifting program have given Jerome and other kids those experiences.

When he’s not weightlifting, you can find Jerome at the Gym playing basketball, or working on his homework. Jerome is currently in the 8th grade and has hopes of attending Cleveland NJROTC Academy in the fall of 2016. Lift For Life Gym offers educational programs to our members as well, hoping that we can provide them with necessary tools such as tutoring services, college preparatory classes, job shadowing, life skills and more so that members like Jerome can fulfill their dreams and have a successful future.